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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wind · field · rest · toast · track · fine · mark · wake

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — to keep track
  3. field — a subject
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wind — moving air
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. rest — what's left
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. mark — a grade
  12. track — a song
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a trace
  15. fine — high quality
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — farmland
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. toast — bread
  22. rest — a break
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. fine — all right

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com